How long can dogs hold their poop

By Isabella Storyclaire

last updated September 16, 2024

Contributions sourced from

How Long Can Dogs Hold Their Poop? 10 Quick Facts

Its frustrating to want to go to the toilet desperately

If the need isnt answered, it can be very uncomfortable.

Well, your pooch can relate to that feeling.

But, how?

And how long will it take for them to sympathize with the experience?

Youre about to discover:

Signs that your dog needs to go potty.
How many times should a dog poop per day.
How long can adult dogs and puppies hold their poop.
What will happen if your dog holds their poop for too long.
And many more

How long can dogs hold their poop?

Dogs can hold their poop for an average of 8 hours if theyre a healthy adult. For puppies, the general rule is 1 hour per 1 month of their age. Then, youd add another hour to that amount. So, a 2-month old puppy can hold their poop for about 2 to 3 hours.

What happens if a dog holds his poop too long?

If a dog holds his poop too long, it could be uncomfortable for him. Itll also bother you as hell be whining and scratching the door. When that happens, it means that he can no longer hold his poop and might consider going inside the house.

First, how long does it take to consider it a long time to be holding poop in dogs?

There are many factors to consider.

Factors that affect a dogs ability to hold poop

Age

A healthy adult dog can hold his poop for an average of 8 hours. Sometimes, that can extend up to 10 hours.

For a puppy, the guideline is 1 hour per month of their age. Then, you need to add another hour to the number.

So, for example, a 3-month old puppy can hold his poop for at least 3 to 4 hours.

Size

Think of it this way

Your dogs size influences how long hes able to hold poop.

So, the smaller the size, the more compact their storage for food is.

And if Fidos a large dog, they have a lot of space for food in their tummy.

With that, its logical to say that smaller dogs cant always hold it for 8 hours. For them, itll be less than the average.

Then, larger dogs can hold their poop for up to 8 hours.

Health

Itll also depend on your dogs current health status.

Thats because medical conditions cause your dog to poop more than usual.

Moreover, most cases are shown through diarrhea.

Some examples from AKC are:

Allergies.
Change in diet.
Intestinal parasites.
Garbage toxicosis or eating garbage.
Food intolerance (ex. lactose intolerance).

Consequences of letting your dog hold his poop

Now, what happens if your pooch holds his poop longer than average?

First of all, you must know how uncomfortable that is.

It hurts to hold your need to go to the toilet. And every moment that passes is like torture.

Your pooch can relate to that feeling.

When he holds his poop for too long, the discomfort might be unbearable for him.

With that, hell show behaviors that hope to tell you that he really needs to go.

Signs that a dog needs to poop

Be mindful of your dogs signals when he needs a potty break.

Im talking about these signs:

Pacing.
Whining.
Fidgeting.
Sniffing around.
Circling before squatting.
Coming up to you then looking at the door.

When your dog can no longer hold it

If you overlook the signals that Fido has been giving

Uh-oh

He might result in making his last choice.

And whats that?

Itll be going potty inside the house.

But my pooch is housetrained

This is still bound to happen.

Dog parents report cases such as this.

When this occurs, its best not to scold your pup so much.

Thats because he might already know that what he did was wrong. However, he can no longer stand it and just goes without a choice.

And dont worry, your pooch is still housetrained. This could be an isolated case.

But, you have to make sure that this never happens again.

You must guarantee that Fido wont have to hold his poop for long. Immediately give them a potty break when they need it.

You might also ask: Why does my dog suddenly poop in the house?

How long can a dog hold its poop after eating?

A dog can hold their poop after eating for at least 8 hours. However, a dog would feel compelled to go potty minutes after eating already. Then, the food they just ate will take at least hours to come out.

Its a little complicated, isnt it?

Thats because digestion is a complex process. The food doesnt simply travel in your dogs intestines and then come out

The process of digestion in dogs

Lets follow the Merck Veterinary Manuals explanation of a dogs digestive system.

According to the manual, the process starts when your dog picks up the food with their mouth.

And when your pooch starts chewing, their teeth physically break down the food. Then, saliva assists chemically.

Then, 4 more stages occur. Namely:

Stage	What happens
Digestion	It starts when your dog swallows their food. Food is continually broken down in the stomach.
Absorption of nutrients	Intestines absorb the nutrients that the food brings.
Motility	The food that has been broken down moves through the digestive tract.
Elimination	The final stage of digestion is the elimination of feces.

Now, how long does this process take?

PetMD tells us that food moves through a dogs GI tract 3 times faster.

In humans, those stages can take up to 20 or 30 hours.

But for our canine friends, GI transit only takes 6 to 8 hours.

When will a dog poop after eating

As I said at the start of this section, dogs can be compelled to poop a few minutes after eating.

However, GI transit takes 6 to 8 hours.

So, I understand if there might be confusion going on right now.

With that, let me explain this complex procedure even more

The poop your pooch expels after eating isnt always from the food they just ate.

It could be something from a while ago or even yesterdays food.

Think of it this way:

Inside your dogs GI tract is a line.

There, the meals that your pup has eaten are lined up. Theyre all waiting for their turn to come out

And when Fido eats another meal, that goes into their tract. The recent food pushes down the food thats already there.

Then, that causes a bowel movement on your dog.

What comes next is the elimination of waste.

Note: There isnt always a long line in your dogs digestive system. But when there is one, then it could be a cause of concern

Fermentation in a dogs digestive tract

There are some human foods that your pupper cant digest properly.

Their stomach will be having a hard time breaking down those types of food.

While those are waiting to be broken down, it sits on your dogs guts. With that, it starts to ferment inside your dogs body.

That might cause your pooch to let out stinky farts suddenly. Theyll also have trouble eliminating it.

So, avoid feeding your dog these:

Soybeans.
Spicy foods.
Steamed vegetables.
Beans, especially when its uncooked or eaten in large amounts.

Read also: Help, My Dog Has Loose Stools And Smelly Gas! 7 Tips

How long can puppies hold their poop?

How long can puppies hold their poop depends on their age. Per 1 month of a puppys age is an hour of how long they can hold their potty. Then, add another hour to the first number.

So, when your puppy is 2-months old, they can hold their poop for 2 to 3 hours.

That rule lasts until 8 months of a dogs age. From then, you can expect your dog to hold their poop for 8 hours.

However, dont take advantage of this time frame.

You must immediately give your pup a potty break after eating or drinking.

Thats because puppies have smaller bladders and stomachs. They have less space in their body and tend to go more.

Puppies are also likely to go after they wake up from a nap.

Timely potty breaks are crucial practice as you dont want to cause discomfort to your pupper.

And if you let them hold it for too long

Oh no

It could cause your fur baby to poop inside the house.

Moreover, it could mean trouble regarding their housetraining

So, taking them out frequently for potty breaks will teach them. Itll let them know that they should poop outside at given times.

How long can a puppy hold its poop at night?

How long a puppy can hold their poop at night is influenced by their age. It can also depend if your pupper ate any meals before bedtime.

As I said, a puppys month-age is equivalent to how long they can hold their poop. Then, add another hour to that age.

For example, your 1-month old pupper can hold their poop for 1 to 2 hours.

It also depends on whether your puppy has recently eaten any meals.

As much as possible, you must take your dog for a potty break after feeding them.

Its a common mistake new dog parents make.

A lot of guardians report this scenario:

In the morning, they check how their puppys doing.

Not only are they greeted by their excited pupper

They reveal that their puppys poop and smell also welcome them.

How can you avoid such an experience?

Stop your puppy from pooping at night

Method #1: Avoid feeding your puppy too close to their bedtime.

There are many consequences of feeding your puppy late at night.

First of all, puppies already have so much energy to start with. Feeding them near their bedtime will recharge their energy.

With that, they might end up restless or hyperactive at night.

Moreover, late-night feedings can contribute to weight gain. Thats what research tells us.

And most of all, an input means therell be an output.

So, if you feed your pup late at night, expect a potty during that time.

Method #2: After feeding your puppy at night, immediately take them out for a potty break.

Consistently do this as this is among the crucial parts of housetraining your puppy.

AKC says that 5 to 30 minutes after a meal is a great window to take your pooch out.

Method #3: To establish proper potty behavior, encourage your puppy.

Every time they poop outside, reward them.

Yes, you must bring treats on their next potty break.

When theyre finished, praise them and give them the treat as a reward.

Considerations in housetraining your puppy

Potty training your puppy isnt an easy task.

Theres more to remember when youre teaching this process to your puppy.

Reminder #1: Feeding and housetraining go hand in hand.

Providing a consistent feeding schedule will make potty training easier.

How so?

Itll be trouble-free for you to predict your puppys need for a bathroom break.

Reminder #2: Provide your puppy with a big enough crate.

Dogs dont like sleeping in the area where they poop.

So, a small crate might make your puppy uncomfortable. In that little space, they might go potty and sleep

Its a repulsive setup. Thats why you must understand your puppy on this one.

Reminder #3: Monitor your puppys health.

Say that youre sure that your puppy is improving their training. And that everythings properly set for them

The crates big, and their feeding schedule is timely.

Yet, they continue to poop at night in their crate.

Such a case could be a little concerning.

Thats because it might be a medical issue that causes your puppy to poop at night.

An example condition would be intestinal parasites. Namely:

Giardia.
Coccidia.
Tapeworms.

Note: Research says its a misconception that only puppies can get intestinal worms.

The truth is any dog of any age can be affected.

However, most cases are severe in puppies because they have weaker immune systems.

How long can a sick or senior dog hold its poop?

How long a sick or senior dog holds their poop depends on their condition. And since theyre sick or old, the time they can hold it is less than the average 8 hours. Thats because they might be having trouble with their bowel movements.

Sick or senior dogs might have struggles in passing their stools.

How so?

Lets break it down into 2 to be clear:

A sick dogs pooping habits

Increased pooping frequency often comes with diarrhea.

And when your dog is sick, theyll tend to poop more. Then, their stool will be unusual.

Then, whats considered usual?

AKC gives us a guideline on the perfect dog poop:

Color	It must be chocolate brown. If your dog eats food with color, itll affect the poop, too.
Shape	The perfect dog poop is shaped like a log.
Consistency	It should be moist yet compact. Picking it up should be easy.
Size	The size should match the volume of food that you feed your dog.

Thats how your dogs stool should be.

Also, any foreign objects shouldnt be present in your dogs poop. Along with others like:

Blood.
Mucus.
White bits (which are worms).

Now, if your dog has loose stools, theyll tend to go potty more.

And to be honest, theres no definite number on how long they can hold it. Almost everything will be random.

When your pooch has the need to go, then they gotta go

Thats the rule applicable to this scenario.

Then, when your ill dog goes potty, the amount of poop varies. Sometimes its in small amounts. Other times, its volume is more than usual.

According to vets, diarrhea results from feces moving faster in your dogs intestine.

Moreover, it can be caused by the following:

Stress.
Allergies.
Eating garbage.
Organ dysfunction.
Consuming spoiled food.
Viral or bacterial infections.
Sudden change in their diet.
Inflammatory intestinal disease.

A senior dogs pooping habits

An aging dog struggles to control their bowel movements.

Like in dogs facing an illness, senior canines have to go when they feel the need to.

Experts say that old dogs cant hold it the way they used to.

With that, the 8-hour average is out of the window.

Whats sure is the uncertainty, which is what your old dog might be feeling.

With old age, theyll start being confused. Now, your senior pooch might not practice what they learned from their housetraining.

Thats why older dogs are more prone to random house-soiling.

Can a dog get sick from holding in poop?

A dog can get sick from holding poop. However, frequent practice of holding poop cant do any harm. But if its a regular habit, then your pooch can be sick from it.

Nothing is highly alarming if poop is held from time to time.

Some dogs practice that sometimes. Thats because some canines dont immediately let go of their poop.

For those dogs, they gotta pick the right place to poop first.

However, thats only in a few cases. And its not that those dogs hold their poop for such a long time. Theyre just delaying it a little bit.

Now, what happens if thats always practiced?

Let me explain first what occurs when your dog holds their poop in.

The stool is ready to be extracted. However, your pooch isnt ready to do so

So, the poop comes back to the colon. There, the water from the poop gets reabsorbed.

And let me tell you, that reabsorbed water is an unwelcome guest in your doggos body.

Moreover, the poop has lost its moisture. With that, it becomes harder.

And because of that, your pooch will have trouble expelling the hardened stool the next time.

Now, your pup will feel constipated.

Its a condition where theyll have a difficult time passing stool.

According to PetMD, here are the symptoms of constipation in dogs:

How many times should a dog poop a day?

A dog should poop at least once a day. Majority of dogs poop 1 to 3 times a day. Moreover, its still healthy if a canine goes potty up to 5 times per day.

Vets say that a dog would normally go after a meal.

So, if you feed Fido twice a day, theyre likely to go poop twice, too.

However, the most important thing is consistency.

Dont fret if your pooch only goes potty once a day

As long as theyre consistent with their habits, then everythings fine.

With that, any changes in the frequency and duration of their potty breaks are of concern.